ComSec Enterprises PrivateCrypto
Want a no-nonsense encryption program that is simple to install and use with very little in the way of bells and whistles? That pretty much sums up PrivateCrypto. The software was delivered to the Lab on a credit card-sized CD, from which the installation is swift with little operator intervention.
The software integrates seamlessly with Windows Explorer, and it’s fair to say if you can use Explorer and products like Winzip, then this is no stretch at all.
Want to encrypt a file? Right-click on the file and one of the menu options will be PrivateCrypto. The utility then requests the user supply a password; you can have different passwords for different recipients. There is an option to create self-extracting files, which is great if the recipient does not have a copy of PrivateCrypto. In addition, the utility can compress the file prior to encryption and if required, delete the unencrypted original. However, the utility will only encrypt a single file at a time, which is a bit limiting; if you select multiple files at once the PrivateCrypto option is not available. On the other hand, you could turn a group of files into a single Zip file and encrypt that. The encryption scheme is 128-bit AES, so it’s quite secure although not as fast as some of the other programs tested. It took 10.8 seconds to encrypt and compress a 5.98MB spreadsheet down to 1.18MB, which is not too shabby.
| Product: | PrivateCrypto |
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| Price: | Free for personal use (limited time) or AU$279.95 for 5-license pack. |
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| Vendor: | ComSec Enterprises |
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| Phone: | (07) 3222 6845 |
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| Web: | www.comsecent.com.au |
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| Interoperability: |
½Windows-based only. |
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| Futureproofing: |
A relatively simple utility based on the AES algorithm. |
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| ROI: |
Very good value for money for the 5 user pack, excellent value for money given its current free for personal use status. |
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| Service: |
E-mail and phone support during standard business hours. |
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| Rating: |
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1%
8%
